Cable television is a system (e.g., a cable “plant”) for delivering television signals to subscribers or viewers by means of coaxial cable. When signals above a certain power level leak from the cable plant into the atmosphere, they may conflict with those used by the aviation industry. Signal leakage can occur in a variety of situations, such as when the shielding of cable cracks or becomes weathered, when connectors become loose, or when the cable breaks.
Rules promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) require cable television operators to monitor their cable plants, including their transport media (e.g., cables). Among other items, these rules cover monitoring and reporting on signal “leaks” that occur in the cables. To comply with these standards, cable companies must make power measurements of their facilities and report data obtained during the measurements to the FCC.
Although various methods have been developed to locate cable television leaks, each method presents one or more disadvantages. For example, some methods lack effectiveness in locating or identifying leaks, while others are costly or time consuming.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for accurately locating and identifying leaks.